Duration SmartColumns

A Duration SmartColumn can be used to show the amount of time worked. The time can be shown in minutes, hours, days or weeks.

How to: Set up a Duration SmartColumn Click for Version 2006

A duration column can easily be added to any schedule.

Choose the Insert tab.
In the Rows, Columns section choose New Column.
Under Normal Dates check on Duration.

Milestones Professional takes into account a number of factors when computing the duration, including:

The workday start and end times. (The workday start and end times are set by clicking and then clicking the Hourly/Minute tab).
Whether or not you have hourly detail and minute detail turned on.
Whether or not Saturdays and Sundays are worked.
Holidays that you might have indicated.

Hourly detail

A schedule can have daily, hourly and even minute detail. Which level of detail is used will affect the duration and other calculations.

To turn hourly detail on or off:

Choose the Dates tab, in the Start and End Dates section choose Full Dialog.
Choose the Hourly/Minute tab.
Click on or off the Allow Hourly Detail option.

Duration and the single milestone

When hourly detail is turned off, a single milestone will display a duration of 1 day:

When hourly detail is turned on, a single milestone will display a duration of 0 days:

Duration and multiple milestones

In the example below, hourly detail is off. With hourly detail off, the time span includes all 4 days in the schedule:

When hourly detail is turned on, the duration on both tasks of this schedule are 3 days.

Duration and multiple milestones with Show Decimal Point on Duration and Percent Complete turned on.

A schedule can have daily, hourly and even minute detail as well as Show Decimal Point on Duration and Percent Complete turned on. Which level of detail is used will affect the duration and other calculations.

To turn on Show Decimal Point on Duration and Percent Complete:

With the arrow tool select the Duration Column.
The toolbar will change to Current Object: Column.
In the Column Type and Format section choose Properties.
Under Settings for entire schedule check on Show Decimal Point on Duration and % Complete.

When hourly detail is turned on, and the Show Decimal Point on Duration and Percent Complete option is turned on, the duration on the second tasks are more accurate:

Duration and Summary Bars

If your schedule is outlined, summary bars can be used to display the overall duration. You can choose to display the sum of the individual durations, or the overall duration.

To turn on Show Summary Duration in Calendar Time:

Choose the Layout tab.
In the Other section choose Summary Bar Settings.
Check on or off Show summary Duration in Calendar Time.

The example below has the Show Summary Duration in Calendar Time option checked on.

The example below has the Show Summary Duration in Calendar Time option checked off.